Recuperative furnace



Nov. 1, 1927. 1,647,725

F. "r. COPE RECUPERAT I VE FURNACE Filed Dec. 21. 1925 gwwntoz 'trated in the accompanying Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES FRANK '1. COPE, OF

I r 1,647,725 PATENT OFFICE.

SALEM, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC FURNACE COMPANY, .OF SALEM, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RECUPERATIVE FURNACE.

' Application filed December 21, 1925. Serial No. 76,675.

The invention relates to continuous heat treating or annealing furnaces and more particularly to afurnace for annealingstrlps or Wire strands; and the object of the lnvention is toprovide a furnace in which two strips or strands are continuously moved through the furnace in opposite dlrectlons, the incoming cold portion of each stripor strand being preheated by association wlth the outgoing heated portion of the other strip or strand which is proportionately cooled thereby. v,

The above and other objects may attained by constructing a furnace having a central heating chamber communicating at each end with a recuperative hood or tunnel, two strips or strands of materlatbelng passed throu h the furnace, in opposlte d1- rections, and in substantial contact with each other, whereby heat will be rapidly transferred from one to the other.

An embodiment of the invention is illusdrawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional v1ew of the improved furnace, and

Figs. 2 and 3, fragmentary sectional views of hearths especially adapted for treat ng wire.

v Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing. g.

The furnace includes the heatlng chamber 1 in which may be located electric resistors 2 or other suitable heating means, and the recuperating hoods or tunnels 3 communicating with opposite ends of theheating cham-' strips or the like, indicated at 4, the material is coiled upon drums 5 mounted-at opposite ends of the furnace, the free end of each strip being drawn through the furnace and connected to a power driven drum 6 mounted near theopposite end of the furnace and arranged to be driven by any suitable means such as the motor 7, through the gearing 8. In order to hold the two strips in sliding contact with one another as they pass through the furnace a spaced pair of rolls 9 may be provided at the outer end of each tunnel or hood, through which the strips are passed. I

As the drums 6 are rotated to 0011 the material thereon the strips 4 will be moved through the furnace in the dlrectlons of the In order. to anneal or heat treat metal arrows shown in Figure 1, the strips contacting with each other throughout the entire length of the furnace.

, The material is heated as it passes through the central heating chamber 2 and as the heated portion of each strip passes outward through one of the tunnels or hoods in contact with the incoming cold portion of the other strip it will be seen that it will give up considerable heat to the incoming material, thus. preheatin each strip before it reaches the heating c amber of the furnace and considerably cooling each strip before it passes out of the furnace.

In Fig. 2 is illustrated a form of hearth or support adapted for use throughout the length of the furnace for the heat treating or annealing of wire. r

This hearth or support 10 has the channel support such as the on itudinal groove 11 therein of sufiicient wi th to permit two strands of wire .45 to pass throu h the same in opposite directions and in sli ing contact with each other, the construction being otherwise the same 'as'illustratedin Figure 1.

A further modification is shown in Fig. 3, which illustrates a tubular guide 12located through th'e furnace for passing strands of wire therethrough in opposite directions and in substantial contact with each'-othe'r.,

It is common practice in handling strips or wire strands to stop the operation as the end of each coil is reached and to weld or hook the'end'of a new coil thereto.

Although the preferred form of the invention is illustrated, it will be seen that the improvement may be carried out by passing one strip or strand into the furnace and then back out of the furnace in the opposite direction and in contact with the incoming cold portion of the strip.

Although the best results are attained by kee ing both strips in contact at all times durlng their passage through the furnace, it will be understood that due to irregularities in the metal strips or to an unequal pull upon one or the other strip, there may be times during the operation when parts of prior patents two trains of material 5 her ail 'directly conducting heat from one stripto the other. 2. A furnace including a heating cham her, a recup'erative hood communicating with each end of the heating chamber, means 15 for passing two strands of material in opaeawae posite directions through the furnace and a channel support in the furnace for holding the strands in contact with each other for directly conducting heat from one strip to the other.

3. A furnace including a heating chamber, a recuperative hood communicating with each end thereof and means for passing continuous strips or strands of material through the furnace in opposite directions and directly conducting heat from one strip to the other.

In testimony that I claim the above I I 

